Tuesday, August 12, 2014

A Prayer for Those with Mental Illness

I came across a prayer this morning in Laurence Hull Stookey's This Day: A Wesleyan Way of Prayer (a daily prayer guide I'd highly recommend). In light of Robin Williams' tragic death and the resulting conversations around mental illness, I thought this would be appropriate to share today:

You, O God, are the author of peace, 
and in you is neither confusion nor disorder.
In Jesus you showed your compassion 
to all who suffered with troubled spirits.
Therefore look mercifully upon those whose minds are confused, 
to whom this world seems a jumble, 
or who live in a world that does not exist.
In their times of agitation and anguish, calm their spirits.
In their times of clarity, grant them happy memories 
and joy to their present lives.
Give wisdom and gentleness to those who take care of them, 
especially to those who knew them in better times 
and now feel helpless and anguished.
Grant them all the promise that in the end 
you will restore order and peace within your eternal home.
Through Jesus, the Healer
Amen.